Kristen Villebrun and Wendy Bush hoped they wouldn't have to pray for Chedoke Creek, but four years after they first raised alarm about the water's condition, they were part of an Indigenous full moon ceremony to do just that. About 50 people showed up near Princess Point on the dark and frigid Monday evening for the monthly ceremony, which was particularly special as it focused on Chedoke Creek. The body of water that runs into Cootes Paradise had about 24 billion litres of sewage and storm water runoff leak into it due to a gate being left open.
Low water levels around Ottawa have some conservationists worried about what might happen if the region doesn't get significant rain soon. Ottawa experienced one of the driest months of May on record this year, and the lack of rainfall — combined with a number of other factors — are leading to levels below "what we would normally see in the lowest levels in the summertime," said Brian Stratton, engineering manager for the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority.
